In Minneapolis, Frey's reelection bid goes to overtime

MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey risked his bid for a 2nd term by opposing a propulsion to regenerate the city's constabulary department. Voters agreed with Frey connected the policing question, but they near the politician guessing until Wednesday astir his ain reelection.

With voting astir implicit Tuesday, Frey had astir 43% of the vote, good up of a brace of challengers moving astatine astir 20% each. But helium needed much than 50% to win, and nether the city's ranked-choice voting system, predetermination officials were to statesman sorting second- and perchance third-place choices connected Wednesday to allocate them to candidates.

Frey, a Democrat successful a liberal-dominated city, faced crisp unit from competitors connected his near flank. Seventeen candidates had entered the contention for mayor, galore taking contented with the mode Frey has handled changes to the constabulary section since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis officer past year. Frey positioned himself arsenic a defender of keeping the constabulary section — and was against the astir wide and vocal progressives who were seeking a symbolic triumph successful Floyd’s city.

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Voters soundly defeated the connection to regenerate the constabulary department, with astir 56% opposed.

Just a fistful of candidates were thought to beryllium superior threats to Frey, with 2 –- Sheila Nezhad and Kate Knuth – teaming up connected a strategy that urged voters to permission Frey disconnected their ballots entirely. The brace had the backing of U.S. Rep. llhan Omar. Nezhad 21% of the ballot Tuesday night, with Knuth a measurement down astatine astir 18 1/2%.

Nezhad, 33, is simply a assemblage organizer who worked arsenic a argumentation expert for 1 of the starring groups retired to destruct the constabulary department. Knuth, 40, is simply a erstwhile authorities typical and biology justness activist. Both women besides supported rent control, different connection connected Tuesday’s ballot, successful opposition to Frey’s wide opposition.

Under the ranked-choice system, candidates with nary accidental to triumph aft the archetypal circular of counting are eliminated. A elector who backed specified an unsuccessful campaigner would past person his oregon her 2nd prime tabulated, presuming that campaigner remained successful the race. The process is repeated until a campaigner is declared the winner.

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Frey precocious Tuesday called it “a truly bully night” but stopped abbreviated of claiming victory. If helium remains successful office, helium stands to payment from voters' support of different ballot question Tuesday — 1 that moves the metropolis to a strong-mayor signifier of government. Critics person agelong said the city's weak-mayor strategy sometimes meant disorder implicit who has wide authorization implicit metropolis departments and staff.

Frey was the look of Minneapolis during immoderate of its darkest days, including Floyd’s decease and the rioting that marred protests that followed, including the burning of a constabulary precinct aft Frey ordered officers to wantonness it. Floyd’s decease successful May 2020 sparked the astir wide unrest successful the U.S. since the Rodney King riots.

During the worst of the unrest, conservatives accused Frey of failing to stem the riots oregon ace down connected soaring transgression and weapon unit portion the near criticized him for not doing capable to overhaul Minneapolis police.

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Frey, a lawyer by grooming and a Virginia transplant, archetypal won a City Council spot successful 2013. He ascended to the mayor’s bureau successful 2017 by ousting incumbent Betsy Hodges successful a contention besides roiled by constabulary accountability issues, including the 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, a Black man, successful a conflict with achromatic officers and the 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a achromatic woman, by a Black officer.

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